


when you fall

by emrys (livingshitpost)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Brain Damage, Brotherhood, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Child Soldiers, Childhood, First Aid, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Medical, Medical Conditions, Medical Jargon, Prequel, Protective, Protective Older Brothers, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:49:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23482690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys
Summary: 99 can’t hit the target before him. Something is very, very wrong.
Relationships: 99 & Clone Force 99 | Bad Batch, 99 & Jango Fett
Comments: 5
Kudos: 73





	when you fall

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Cuun Vod](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22836943) by [emrys (livingshitpost)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/livingshitpost/pseuds/emrys). 



> warning for implied eugenics and intentions of child murder by the kaminoans, though they don’t get a chance to go through with it.
> 
> this is a direct prequel to “cuun vod” !

99 scowled as he missed the target again. His vision swam, and the room was spinning. 

“99, what’s the matter with you?” Hunter bit from beside him. “You know you’re aiming for the  _target_ , right?”

The blaster fell from his now-slack grip. It clattered to the ground as he leaned against the transperisteel wall beside him. 

“99?” The venom left Hunter’s voice. “Kark- Jango!”

Tech glanced over at his brothers. “What’s wrong with him?”

“I don’t know.” Hunter dropped his own blaster and hurried to 99’s side. “Jango, kriff’s sake, get over here!”

The bounty hunter folded his arms across his chest, glaring as he approached. “What’s this about?” He caught sight of the target 99 had been trying to shoot. There were a few decent hits on it, but the rest drifted lower and lower. “What’s going on, cadet?”

“‘M fine,” 99 insisted, even as Hunter brought him to sit on the floor. “‘S jus’ a li’le headache.”

Jango knelt down. He took 99’s face in his hands and looked closely at his eyes. “How’s your vision?”

99 grunted. “Blurry.”

“Smile.”

“Wha’?”

“Do it. That’s an order.”

99 hesitantly did as he was told. At this point, Crosshair and Wrecker’s attention had been drawn to their brother. Wrecker’s heart dropped like a stone in the tumultuous sea outside as he watchedonly the right side of his mouth lift up in a forced, uneasy grin. 

“Kriff,” Jango murmured. “97, get a medic.”

“Yes, sir.” Crosshair tried to smile reassuringly at 99 as he turned to go. It didn’t reach his eyes. 

99 looked up at Jango. “Wha’s happenin’?”

Jango didn’t answer. He glanced up at the clock, making note of the time. 

Wrecker stood still. “I hit him,” he said. “Kriff, I hit him in the head during training. Oh,  _kark_.”

“Well, that’s not great,” Jango murmured. “Good to know, though.”

Crosshair re-entered the room, accompanied by two med droids and a kaminoan doctor. The droids helped 99 onto a stretcher. His right hand kept a tight grip on Hunter’s hand. 

“Can I go with him?” Hunter asked. 

“He needs to be examined,” the doctor told him. His voice was flat and unaffected. “We will take him from here.”

Hunter sighed. He gave 99’s hand a quick squeeze before pulling away. “You’re gonna be okay,” he said firmly. “Be brave. We’ll come see you when training’s over, alright?”

Jango put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder to turn him back to his station. “Let’s get back to it.” He looked to each of the young clones in turn. “All of you. Come on.”

Wrecker bit his lip as he returned his focus to the target several meters away. Even around the gun, he could feel 99’s shoulders in his hands. They shook ever so slightly now. He glared and shot straight ahead.

* * *

Wrecker bounced his leg almost zealously as the four of them waited. Hunter, highly sensitive to the harsh antiseptic smell of the medical bay, leaned over his own lap with his head bowed as he fought back waves of nausea. Crosshair leaned back in his chair with his legs spread and a mangled toothpick between his teeth. His hands were folded in his lap. Tech was grilling a passing med droid about their brother when the door to his room opened.

99 smiled at them as they approached. “You’ ‘ack,” he stammered. 

“Course we are,” Hunter said softly. “How’re you feeling?”

“Ne’ ‘ur’s,” he said. He pointed to his neck with his right hand, which still moved fluidly. “‘Ave me ‘ome ‘eds, bu’ ‘ey’re no’ wor’in’ ye’.” He fiddled with one of the wires connected to a diode on his now-shaved head. “How ‘m I loo’in’, ‘Ech?”

Tech didn’t respond until Crosshair elbowed him. He looked up from the datapad at the foot of 99’s bed. “You had a subarachnoid hemorrhagic stroke in the right frontal lobe,” he read off the screen. “Specifically the primary motor cortex. It caused quite a bit of pressure on your parietal lobe.”

Hunter rolled his eyes. “How about in Basic, huh?”

“He’ll have trouble with his senses, particularly tactile sensations.” He turned to 99. “Are you cold or anything?”

99 tried to shake his head, grimacing. “No. ‘M a’righ’.” He tracked Wrecker with his eyes. “Wre’?”

Wrecker glanced up. His face was blanched. “Yeah, 99?”

“You ‘aven’ sai’ a wor’. ‘S not li’e you.”

The taller boy sighed. “I’m fine, vod.”

“We’, so ‘m I.” 99 smiled. “‘M a’ive, righ’?”

Tech stiffened. “Not for long,” he breathed. He handed the datapad to Hunter. “He’s scheduled to be decommissioned.”

“What?” Hunter read over the tablet. “Kriff.”

99 set his jaw. “Righ’.” He cleared his throat. “‘An’ figh’ ‘ike ‘is.” He forced a laugh. “‘Anks.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Hunter said firmly.

“‘S o’ay, Hun’er. ‘M fine wi’ i’.” Even so, his lower lip trembled. “‘On’ ‘et ‘ung u-”

“No!” Wrecker barked. He stepped forward to take 99’s hand. “We’re not gonna let the longnecks kill you, vod. Swear it.”

“He’s right,” Crosshair said firmly. “We’re not gonna give you up that easily.”

“Come on, men.” Hunter’s eyes were bright with determination. “Let’s get him back to the barracks.”


End file.
